Are you looking for ways to boost the score of your next Erasmus project?
Why not implement green travel for your Erasmus mobility?
Green travel is a great way to integrate sustainable practices and promote environmentally responsible behavior, thus boosting the quality of your Erasmus project.
What do you mean by the quality of project design?
First of all, you should know that the quality of project design is the most important award criterion in short-term mobility projects (50%). This means that, if you’re approaching the Erasmus+ Programme for the first time with a KA122 (short-term mobility), you should pay the utmost attention to:
- The coherence of the chosen activities with your project objectives, and the link of the latter with the needs of your students, staff, and school at a general level;
- The cost-effectiveness of the activities: for instance, you should explain why you chose to pay for a venue instead of using the school premises for a planned activity;
- The involvement of digital tools and learning methods before, during and after the mobility, underlining how many people will benefit from a so-called “blended” mobility, meaning that it integrates a virtual component as well. Don’t forget to mention how you are using eTwinning (e.g. looking for partners, sharing project activities and results).
- The incorporation of environmentally sustainable and responsible practices.
For the sake of this article, we will focus on the last point, particularly on the use of sustainable transportation.
What if my school is already accredited?
If your school already has an Erasmus+ Accreditation, green travel can also help to increase your score in the yearly final report assessment. This score can help you avoid the risk of budget cuts the following year.
Indeed, in this report, the compliance with Erasmus quality standards amounts to 50% of the evaluation criteria, encouraging the schools to consider not only participants’ satisfaction about the implemented activities, but also the integration of the basic principles of inclusion and diversity, digital education, and environmental sustainability and responsibility.
Why does green travel matter in the Erasmus programme?
Since 9 out of 10 participants state that the Erasmus programme “contributes to building a European identity/sense of belonging” (EU Erasmus+ Report 2024), it becomes clear that it represents a real tool towards the creation of new European citizens, as well as, with its millions of participants every year, a great resource to raise awareness about environmental responsibility.
Accordingly, the Erasmus+ Guide now explicitly states that “below 500 km, participants will, as a general rule, travel with low emissions means of transport”, aligning with the EU’s goal to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
Furthermore, since 2021, additional funds have been allocated for “green travel”, as your mode of transportation has a big impact on your carbon footprint, as you can see from the chart below.
What is “green travel” for the Erasmus+ Programme?
According to the Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2025, “green travel” refers to the use of low-emission transport options, such as buses, trains, bikes, or carpooling, for most of the journey.
Emissions from air travel, specifically, have doubled since 1990, and while technical solutions like sustainable aviation fuels are being developed, they’re still far from mainstream and won’t fully eliminate the problem.
This awareness lies at the core of all the measures through which the European Commission promotes “green travel” and reflects the growing need to balance international mobility with environmental responsibility.
To encourage the use of more sustainable means of transport, Erasmus+ offers up to six funded travel days to participants who use bus, train, bikes or carpooling for their journeys, compared to just two days for those flying.
This rule allows for more flexibility in planning and budgeting. For instance, you can consider splitting your journey with an overnight stay and use this opportunity to explore a new city, as trains often take you directly to the heart of a European city, while avoiding the impact of a flight.
Of course, this is only a partial solution, as there’s a shortage of teachers in most European countries, so substituting them for additional travel days is just not that easy, but at least it’s a beginning to raise awareness about these topics among the Erasmus participants.
After all, nowadays many trains and buses have a Wi-Fi connection, so you can also work or study while traveling, not to mention that slowing down helps you enjoy the journey more, and on public transport you have the chance to chat with passengers from different countries and experience local culture along the way.
In the end, isn’t this exactly what the Erasmus+ experience is all about?
Additional funding for green travel
The travel funding amount depends on the distance covered: participants must use the Erasmus+ Distance Calculator and the chart below to find out their specific allocation.
As you can see, “green travel” is also incentivized with more funding, which is greatly needed since flight tickets are too often more convenient than train or bus tickets. For this reason, we summarized a few tips to manage your travel expenses.
Tips for budget-friendly green travel
To help stay within budget, you can opt for:
- Teacher discounts: In some countries, like Poland, public school teachers can get discounts on train travel.
- Group discounts: Larger groups can often benefit from discounts when traveling by train or bus. For instance, if several teachers are attending the same Erasmus course, carpooling or traveling by train together could lead to significant savings.
Check whether similar discounts are available in your country or look for offers from local transportation providers!
Websites for train tickets and carpooling
Even though the perfect rail journey booking platform for all of Europe doesn’t exist yet, here you’ll find some websites to book train, bus, or carpooling travel that may be useful:
- BlablaCar – connects drivers with empty seats to passengers traveling the same route, offering dynamic pricing, ID verification, and user ratings.
- Deutsche Bahn – you can find connections even if you’re not traveling in Germany
- Map of European night train connections – Night trains can be a convenient option as well. Check this interactive map to find some options:
- The Man in Seat 61 – this website can help you plan your train travel in Europe!
- You can also find some Platforms where you can book your train tickets in one go, but they may charge a small fee:
- Omio (also for bus, flight, and ferries)
And don’t wait until the last minute, booking in advance can help you snag better prices! Check this overview from The Man in Seat 61: When does booking open?
What if flying is unavoidable?
But sometimes, it’s impossible not to take the plane. In case this is what you’re up to, here are a few things to consider when buying your tickets to minimize the impact it can have:
Book direct flights
Direct flights are less polluting, as takeoffs and landings are the most fuel-intensive phases of any flight.
Once an aircraft reaches cruising altitude, it operates much more efficiently, with lower fuel consumption per kilometer, making direct flights an important strategy for travelers looking to reduce their carbon footprint.
When possible, fly to an airport near your destination and switch to sustainable options!
Pack light
The more you carry, the more fuel is required to get off. Packing light reduces emissions, especially on long-distance journeys. Stick to the essential: reduce unnecessary packaging and transfer toiletries into smaller, reusable containers.
Additionally, having less and lighter baggage to carry allows you to move more freely, for instance, using public transport instead of taking a taxi.
Finally, checked bags are mishandled quite often, resulting in an additional carbon footprint to reconcile these mishandled bags with their owners.
Flying economy
Opting for flying economy is not only more affordable but also more sustainable. Business and first-class seats take up more space, meaning fewer passengers and higher emissions per seat.
Incorporating sustainability into the curriculum
If you’re traveling with your students, don’t forget that your Erasmus mobility experience is also a unique chance to inspire future generations to be mindful travelers.
Start by engaging your students with tools like the Carbon Footprint Calculator. This practical exercise raises awareness about sustainability and the impact of everyday choices.
You could also involve your students in the planning of their mobility by using task- or project-based learning. There are many carbon footprint calculators online, but you can use this one if your focus is on the means of transport: Mobility and CO2 Calculator
Another useful activity to bring sustainability to life in the classroom could be the EU Ecolabel Exploration: discuss the EU Ecolabel with your students!
This label guarantees that products meet high environmental standards, offering a practical way to understand sustainable consumption.
You can challenge your students to identify eco-friendly products in their daily lives!
Finally, where possible, have them explore GreenKayak, an initiative allowing volunteers to borrow a kayak for free in exchange for collecting waste from waterways.
This is a fantastic example of hands-on environmental action, blending leisure with a positive ecological impact.
Embracing Green Travel as the new normal
In today’s world, adopting green travel practices should become the norm, especially while living abroad, even for just a short time.
By being mindful of our travel choices, we can reduce our environmental impact and set an example for our students.
As you explore new destinations, aim to minimize your impact: reduce or offset carbon emissions, support local economies, and prioritize eco-conscious decisions.
Shopping at local markets, buying from indigenous artisans, and respecting the customs of your host community are small steps that create a ripple effect, deepening your experience and fostering meaningful connections with those around you.
Every action you take, and every choice you make plants the seeds for responsible travel habits that will inspire your students and enrich the communities they touch.
Erasmus face-to-face courses related to this topic:
Being deeply rooted in Erasmus’s world and missions, we offer courses on sustainability and environmental education to equip teachers with the right tools and strategies to turn green habits into a permanent lifestyle.
- Environmental Education: Learning and Acting for a Better Future
- Teaching for a Sustainable World: Climate Change and Global Citizenship
and more!
Let’s turn green travel into a habit and a lifestyle, and not just a trend: let’s make sustainable choices that leave a positive legacy for future generations of Erasmus+ travelers.